Control for dual-control aeroplanes



F. L. VAN ALLEN. CONTROL FOR DUAL CONTROL AEROPLANES. APPLICATION HILED AUG.30, 191.8.

Patented Jan. 6,1920,

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET L.

"In/11mm L. VAN ALLEN. CONTROL FOR DUAL CONTROL AEROPLANES.

APPLICATIQN FIL'EDJUIGJO, 191s.

Patented Jan, 6,1920: I

. IMZEN TUE FEffiEfi/ELUMMLLE I L F. L. VAN ALLEN.

CONTROL FOR DUAL CONTROL A'EROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.s0,s91s.'

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 1 37 13 Patented Jan. 6,1920. I

INL/ENTHR' L'fIZJEE/Li 1., MAM/. EN

@EEip snares PATENT ent ies.

FBEDEBIC LANG-TRY VAN ALLEN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

GQNTROL FOR DUAL-CONTROL AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. e, was

Application filed August 30, 1918. Serial No. 252,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnonnro LANGTRYV.

VAN ALLEN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controls for Dual-' ond set .will retain full control of the airplane, to permit of one control of the rudder bar being individually released, while leaving the control stick of that set of controls active, and generally to so arrange the con trols that they may be actuated by a pilot and so permit of the controlsdesigned to be actuated by a cadet in trainingbeing constructed in such a manner that the training of the cadet will be con'ig'ileted with a much greater measure of safety than has hitherto been accomplished for both pilot and cadet. 'lVith the above and othcrobjects in View the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set for the in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation oi the control stick.

F ig. 2 is a sectional elevation of an alternative form of a control stick.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of' a control stick shown in Fig. l, ilhistrating the manner in which the flexible member extends from the control lever.

Fig. {l is a sectional elevation of the rudder control.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on line 55 through the rudder control.

Fig. 6 is a. front elevation of the lever designed to simultaneously control the control stick and rudder bar of a dual control machine.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lover, part being broken away in the section.

Fig. 8 is a front elevationof a lever whereby theruddcr bar may be individually disengaged while the control stick remains active.

Fig, 9 ,is a diagrammatic view of my improved control.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

In teaching cadets and other people the art of flying the airplane used is of the dual control type, so that one control stick is ca pable of being operated by the cadet or learner while the other control stick is actu ated by the pilot or instructor who is'in charge of the machine.

The cadet, during the first lessonor so, follows the movements of the control stick made by the pilot, and in the eventof the cadet making any slight mistakes these can be remedied by the pilot actuating his control stick. i

I have found that under some conditions it may be advisable torender the control under the actuation of the cadet or learner inoperative, and to this end I have provided a controlling lever operativelyconnected to the control stick and rudder control, and on actuation of which the pilot or instructor may if he deems it advisable render the control stick and rudder of the cadet inoperative.

'By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that I form the control stick A in two portions 10 and 11, the upper portion 10 in the first said figure being provided with a lower ball end 9 provided with a pin 12 threaded or otherwise secured to the ball and having the point-of itslower end iii-tapered.

I 'lhisball makes slidable engagement with a sockct 14 carried on the upper end. by a. tubular member 15, the lower end of which is tapered slightly and engages with a tubular member 16. i In the tubular member 16 a plunger 17 is slidably mounted and the upper end of this plunger is flared and provided with a bell shaped opening" 18 which connects with a cylindrical bore terminating in lower ta,

pcred end 19"".

is i

of lugs 20 aro'provided through which a pin 21 passes, and this pin is adapted to engage one end of a flexible i'neinber 22, the object of which will be made clear hereafter.

The lower end of the tubular member 16 is closed by a hollow cap 23-between which andthe lower end of the plunger 17 a spiral spring 24 is located and through the central pulley the flexible member '22 passes.

longitudinal axis of this spring the flexible member passes.

The-cap 23 carries a bracket on which the pulley :26 is journaled and around this This flexible inen'iber passes through the lateral wall of thelower member 11 where it enters and passes through a 'flexible casing: secured to the tubular portion ll of the control stick by a clasp The flexible member has its other end connected to a bifurcated end of the rod 29 which is formed in'two portions connected by a turn-lmckle 30, whereby the effective length of the rod '29 may be adjusted. This rod :29 is connected at the other end to a link 31 which in turn is connected by the link 32 to the lever 33 pivotall v supported intermediate of its length to the lvacket 34.

That end of the lever remote from the link 32 is connected to one end of the spring 35, the other end of which is anchored to a suitable bracket, 3?). The lever 33 is provided with a can) pro ection b7 adapted 'to s the rudder bar of the mac] lie .L'formed in two portions connec the rod 41 is connected to a flexible co-act with a spring controlled doe; which is pivotally mounted liner-mediate of its length and proiri'ded with a tail piece 39 which coacts with the lower oil'setend of the lever which is pivotally mounted intern iediat'e of its length to the bracket lhe lever 40 is also adapted to control line and to this link 2-31 is connected 2 a rod 4'1 lcd b :1 turn elt'ective letesrth H" The lower end oi" member whichextends to the rudder control. The rudder control consists" of'a pair of bars 44 and superimposed on one another the latter being connected to a tubular member 46 rotatably mounted in a stand 47, the dowel end of the bore of the tubular member 46 berng reduced to form an oblong ori end l'lij buckle 42 whereby the the rod may be adjusted.

udder bar 44 is connected to the upper end. of a tubular member 48 which is rotatabl mounted in the and the lower end of the bore of the. tubular member 4-8 is reduced and formed with an oblong orifice 50 designed to register with the orifice 49.

In the tubular member 48 a plunger 51 is slidabl mounted the lower end of the plunger being: oblong in transverse section and adapted to engage with the oblong orifices 50 and 4-9 under certain circumstances.

- The upper end of the plunger 51 is prosided with a pair of lugs 52 through which a iin 53 passes to secure one end of the flexiblemember 43 to the said plunger, and a spring 62 is located between the plunger and a shoulder on the tubular member 48,

the said spring surrounding the flexible member '13 tubular member" with the cam 31'.

mamas After the flexible member passestln'ough the tubular member 48 it passes through the flexible tubular member 54 which is secured to-the tubular member 48 by a clamp 55.

By reference to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the flexible member 43 is provided intermediate of its length with a clamp 53!? formed with pi'ntles 57 adapted to be engaged by the recessed bifurcated ends 58 of. the lever 59 which pivoted intermediate of its length to a bracket 50.

i In Fig. 2 which is an alteri'iative form of control stick to-that illustrated in Fi 1 it an be seen that the only difference resides in the fact that the ball 9 is provided with a recess 8 having a counter sunk outer end and a tapered inner end 7, and a pin (3 is carried by a'plunger 17, which pin is provided with a tapered upper end adapted to engage with the recess in the ball 9". The location of the spring between the piston 17 and the lower cap :23 is similar to that already described. and the other elements of the control stick shown in Fig. 1 correspond to those disclosed in Fig. 2.

- When the airplane equipped with a control 'stem of this nature is in use, the pilot actuates the lever 40 in a rearward direction and the-lower offset end of the said lever engages with the tail pieces 1-39 of the dog 33. disengaging the said dog fron'i the cam 37, thus allowing the spring; 35 to exert a pull on one end of the lever 33, the other end of which through the links 32 and 31 exerts a pull to the flexiblemembers and 43. lhe ti xible member pulls the plunger 17 dcernvardl against the action of the spring 24 and disengagesthe pin 12 from the orifice lf) in the said plunger so rendering the control stick A inoperative.

If the control stick is of the nature shown in Fig. 2 then the pin 6 becomes disengaged from the orifice S in the ball end 9 and thus renders the stick inoperative. The lever..40 is adapted to actuath the lever 33 to remove the tension from the flexible members 4.3 and .22. and the lever 40 is rotated about its pivotal point until the offset lower end of the lever engrag'cs with the lever 33so rotating thelever until the pawl 38 engages It will thus be seen that the lever 40 will have to he moved forwardly through an are equal to the clearance between the offset. end of the lever 40 and the lever before movement otthe lever '33 can be made by means of the lever 40.

Simultaneously with the rendering of the control stick A inoperative the pull of the iflexible member 43 on the piston 51'will disengage the lower oblong portion of the piston from the orifice 49, so that any-movement of the rudder rod 44 will not be transmitt-ed to the rudder rod 45.

- lVhen it is found desirable to throw the control stick: A and the rudder rods into of :the pin 6 setting the last said lever and allowing the dog to engage with the cam 37.

This resetting of the lever'33 releases the pull on'the flexible members 22 and 43 and "allows the spiral spring 24 to press the plunger 1T. upward and permit o the pin engagin with the orifice it of the plunger 17 as'shown in Fig.1, or permit engaging with the orlfice 8 in the ball 9 as shown in Fig. 2. y I

Simultaneously with this movement the spring 62 located above presses the said plunger downwardly to engage the lower end of the same with the oblong orifices and 49, so that any movement of the rudder rod 44 will be transmitted through the tubular member 48, and plunger 51 to the tubular member 46, and thus the motion of the rudder rod 44 will he directly transmitted to the rudderrod 45, which is connected by flexible members to the rudder of the machine It may be found advisable under certain circumstances to permit of the control stick A bein left operative while the rudder rods are rendered inoperative, and to'this end the pilot actuates the lever 59 which trans: mits a pull to the flexible member 43 and discngagcs the/plunger 51 from the oblong orifice 49 of the tubular member 46,'so that any movcmcntof the rudder rod 44. will not be transmitted to the rod 45. i

It willbc understood that the rod 44 is provided on the end with foot rests which are engaged by the foe-t of the cadet and.

rudder vanes are y means of which the and when the rudder rods are out of connuission any movement of the rudder rod 44 will not in any way interfere with the actnationof the rudder.

The control .bearranged, so that the lever 40 will not have any control thereon, andto accomplish this I have provided orifices 63 and 64, through the tubular member 15 and the plunger 17 which orifices register when. the plunger is forced upwardly to full extent, and a pin is tlrcrfpzrsscd through the, -ificcs to prevent movement or displacement of the plunger.

The rudder control is also orifices 65 and 66 through the tulmla-rmembers 46 and 48 and plunger 51 and when the plunger is pressed downwardly to full extent the orifices register and a pin is engaged with the ol'ificcs, so that the plunger 15 cannot be actuated by the lever 44).

As many changes could be made in the provided with each set of controls the plunger 51.

'set remains Inorma l l y pressing the opposite stick A may when operative my hand in the above construction and many apparently widely different tion within the'scopc of the claims constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all mat tcr contained in the accmupanyingspecification and drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.-

' \Vhat I claim as my invention 'is:-

1. In a dual control aeroplane in which consists of rudder bars and control stick, lever means for rendering the rudder bar of one set of controls, inoperativc while the control stick of the same operative, and lover means for emhodin'lents of my inven rendering the control stick and rudder bars of the same set simultaneously inoperative.

2. In a dual control aeroplane, a control stick formed in two portions, pin moans carby one of the portions, and a slidablc plunger havin flared upper end formed with a bell shaped opening connected to a cylindrical bore, the said plunger being designed to cngagewith the pin means and render the stick operative. v

3. In a dual control aeroplane, -a control stick formed in two portions, a plunger slidablc operating in one of the portions and formed with a flared upper end having a ,bell shaped opening to engage the other portion of the stick, and resilient means for the plunger into engagement with the other portion of the stick. 4. In a dual control aeroplane, a control stick, formed in two portions, means carried by one portion of the stick designed to engage't-he other and render the stick operative, a lever, resilient means controlling the operation of the lever in one direction, means for manually direction, a flexible member connecting the lever with the first said means, and a. cam and dog means for securing the lever in position; 1'

5. In a dual :ontrol aeroplane, a pair of superii'nposed rudder bars, atubular memher attached to one rudder bar having an oblong orifice in the lower end, a tubular member attached to the other bar and operating inthe" first t ubular member and havin an oblongorifice, in the l istering with the said orifice and rocable plunger having an oblong reacting with the orifices. I

In witness whereof I. have hereunto set presence of a witness.

FREDERIO LANGTRY m ALLEN.

a recip; lower end Witness: H. M. (lnius'rMAN,

ower end reg- 

